Saintship no ground of soveraignty

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5A1NTSHIP

No ground of

SOVSXAIG^iTY:

OR A

rREATISE

Tending to prove,

That the S a i n t s5 barely consi-
dered as fuch5 ought not to

Gov E R N.

By Edw: Bagfbttw, Student of Ch: Ch:

Oxford, Printed by H: Ha/I, Printer to the
^niverfny, for T. Rabinfon. 1660.

To the Honorable

fOHH, <DO%ME% E%

A Member of

PARLIAMENT.

Worthy Sir,
^-t^f&Boughthe manner of my Life and
nature of my Studies doth lead me to
affecJ a more then ordinary Retired-
nefs and Privacy, yet I neither am,
nor ought to be fo great a granger to thepaff'a-
ges of Providence amongfl us^ as not to take
notict what great things it hath p leafed God of
late to doe for this Nation 5 // not by com*
-pleating our hopes 5 yet at leaf} by preventing
our fears ^ and bringing us within fome near er
view of Settlement : Wlnleft others there-
fore are taken up with celebrating the k^Au-
thors? and magnifying the means of our deli-
verance: 1 have a little made it my bnfweffe
to fear ch into tin caufe of our Danger 5 which

A 2 H

The Epiitle

if once rightly fated, will be a direBtonfor
mir pre/eat Senators, to fecure themselves a-
gain ft that Rock, on which the Ship of the
Common -we alt h hath almojl been
ruined. ^>dnd herein there was no need of
any long fiudy •, for who does not fee, that the
too free venting of all forts of Opinions 5
and that by all forts of men, how -ignorant
and unconcerned foever , wiH , if not re-
frained, for ever keep us a Divided, and
confequently, make us ay Unfetled People ?
Amongfl tbofe many Principles , which are
now Lt loofe upon us, {to exercife the Faith
And Patience of this lafl Age) there is none
that I knew of, which doth either more imme-
diately conduce to the mine of all Civil Go-
vernment, or had a greater influence, in the
pretences at leaft ,*cf the Actors, upon our
late unwarrantable Diflurbances , then this
which I have here endeavored to confute. For
let this once be granted, that our Saviour is a
'Temporal Prince, and that oneiy thefe have a
right to Govern who have by Faith an Inte-
re [I in him, prefntly a door is opened to all
manner of Rebellion and Treafon; nay, there
can be no fuch Crimes in the World, if Reli-
gion,

indicatory.'

gton, And a defign to advance our Saviours
Kingdom > be once made the pretence to autho-
rize them. Indeed the confequent* are fo fa-
tall and horrid, and the remembrance of
Munfter Affairs {which were acted
by the fame fpirit) fofrcjh,andre- SIeidhb^°*
cent y that it might almofk feem needle fs to en-
deavor an) other confutation, then a bare re*
lating of that Story,

But Sir, that I may take tyre that liberty ^
which yon have hitherto always indulged me,
of f peaking my thoughts : I ntver yet looked
upon that way of confuting an Error, which
the Arminian Writers do ufually tread in, to
be either national or Convincing -, I mean, by
urging the Inconveniences and ill Confequen*
ces of the Doctrine we difpute againfl : For it
is one ^ue [lion ? What is true? and another,
What is convenient ? and after all thofe Tra-
gical Inferences, wherewith men feek to af'
fright unwary and unobferving Readers , yet
this will bean eternal Axiom? , 7 hat. truth is
truth, let the confluences be what they will ^
and the more harfh and repugnant any Do-
ctrine,if plainly revealed, feems unto Natu-
rall Reafon? the greater is our Faith, and the.
A 3 more

< TheEpiflle

more ftgnall our obedience, if we notwithftan*
ding do fubmit unto and embrace it. In fro*
fecution therefore of this Design (which X have
laid down to my [elf •> as the onely fat is factory
way of deciding all C ontr over fie s in Divinity}
J have not inquired fo much how dangerous > or
how deflruclive and ruinous the contrary Do*
Brine is, as how it is written \ and fo have
proceeded by direct proof, tojhcw that their Opi*
nion who would have Soveraignty founded upon
that bottom, is utterly unfcriptural \ for that it
isunreafonable, I think none malees-dny que*
ftion* And therefore I hope this Treatifemay
be ufeful for thoje who erre, not knowing the
Scriptures, and following the found of words ^
have not lei fur c, nor perhaps ability, to look in*
to the fenfe of them. Had I consulted my own
credit^ I might have made this Difcourfe more
flauftble, by filing up my Pages with the Au-
thority of ancient Writers 5 but I purposely for-
bore , both becanfe thofe^for ivhofe fakes I main-
ly publtfh it, are vot acquainted with any thing
of Chnjthwitf) more then their Engl/fJ) Bibles
do inftrucJ them in $ and likewife becanfe 1
thought it necdlefs, having fo much of Divine
jiuthv it j for my Text, to croud humane Te/ti*

monies

Dedicatory,

monies into the Margin $ fince fuch fixtures
doe ufuallj make a good Caufefufpected.

Sir, Whatever it is, I humbly prefent it to
you, and doubt not, how rude and inartificial
foeverit feems, but it will finde entertainment
among thofe who love feaf on able Truths, if you
pleafe prfi to honor it with your Acceptance :
Whofe Piety , Prudence , Integrity^ and Zeal
for jour Country s Liberty and Welfare , have as
much advanced you in the Ejleem and Judge-
ment of all fober and unprejudiced men, as your
many pergonal Favours in the Heart andAf*
feftions , of,

Worthy Sir,

Ch; Ch: Jan. 26. Your mod obliged, and

1 6 5 9. moft humbly devoted

Servant,

Edm Bagfiaw.

Saintjbip

(O

mi

&

ai

$l

SAINTSHIP

No ground of

soVE^AiqsyjY.

N tending to prove out
of Scripture that the
Saints ought not to
governe the earth , in
that fenfe which is

now by fome contended for , I fhall
take for the ground of my difcourfe
thofe words of our Saviour to Pilate^
when hefaid, My kingdom is not of^
this worlds which words are very con-
fiderable 5 whether we regard the
Perfon who , the Time when , or
the Manner how they were fpoken.
B i. For

i Tim. 6
13.

2 Saintjhip no ground

1. For the Perfon who fpoke

them, it was no leffe then our Savi-
our cbrifk, each of whofe ipeeches,
how occafiona,! foever, ought to be
unto us fo many Precepts and Obli-
gations to Duty.

2. For the Time when they
were fpoken5it was juft then when he
was taking his leave of Earth, that
he rvitnefjed before Pilate a good con-
fefiion, of w hich, this Aflertion is the
grer.teft Part: fo that it the words of
dying men do ufe to make rhe grea-
teft impreifions, then ought thefe of
our Saviour, even upon that account,
to quicken our Attention.

Laftly,for the Manner how they
were fpoken, it was not oniy after a
Refolved and feeraingly Obftinate
?yiarc.i^. filence., info much as the Gcvernour
5- marvtiled^ but in direct Anfwer to

Ttiates Queftion, who was very de-
firous to know, whether our Saviour
was Kmg or not-,fo that our Saviour s
Purpofed and Pofitive difavowing
any Temporall or Earthly King-
dome,

Of Soveraignty. 3

dome-, his redoubling this Affertion
in the following part of the verfe,
CMj Kingdome is not from btncc\ his
repeating anJ infifling upon ir againe
in the next verfe, as a bearing mtneff'c
to the Truth^ ought to convince us
that our Saviour was in earneff, and
therefore the matter is very Confi-
derable.

If therefore we put all this toge-
ther, viz. the Authority of the Per-
fon, the Exigence of the time, joy-
ned with thofe Vehement and Reite-
rated Circumftances , wherewith
thefe words are Accompanied, we
may from thence conclude, that they
containe in them a leffon, of more
then ordinary concernment to us.

For the more Full and cleare un-
derftanding of them, we muft have ^iJf47
recourfe to one of the foregoing
Chapters, where wre find that the
chief e Priefis and Pbarifees, being in-
formed of our Saviours Miracles,
and of that great Refort of Follow-
ers unto him, (which were enough
A 2 ac

4 Saint jhip no ground

at any time, if micheivoufly inclined
toraife a Commotion in the State J
upon this they prefently called a
CouneeH,oT,accovding to the Greeks,

2tu*<Te<- a s anheJrim7 which was the S u preme
and Higheft Court of Judicature a-

A ^ mongthem, and unto which, if fo-

Uh\. fephus doth rightly informe us, even
their Kings were Accountable. Here
being convened they fall to debate
about the belt Expedient, how to
cut our Saviour oft3 for fear their to-
lerating one, who was Publickly voi-
ced for King, and fo ftiled likewife

& jollity himfelfe, (though in a far other
fenfe then they interpreted it) might
be conftrued by the Romanes (to
whom the ferns were at that time
Tributaries J as a defigne to (hake off"
their Yoke , and thereby provoke
them to an utter extirpation of ths
Jewiih Policy 5 which untill then,
noiwithfhnding their Conqueft ,
they had in great meafure prefer ved
Entire. Thus therefore we find them
Argue, ifrve let him alone 7 all men

Kill

Of Soveraignty. 5

wiS believe on him^ and the Romanes v. 48.
mil come r5 and take atvaj our Place and
Nation.

To this Infinuation, which fee-
med to conclude their Necellky of
our Saviours Death, Caiphas addes
fomething, by which he endeavors
to prove that Unjuft Attempt to be
not only Neceflary, but very Plaufi-
ble too* and therefore he pleads Salm
Populi, the Publick Good is urged to v* 5°'
palliate this execrable Murther: Tou^
faith he, know nothing at a/ly neither
c on fide r that it is expedient one man
fbould dye for the People^ that the Na-
tion perifh not:- as if he had faid,
You are very Weake and Unskilful!
Politicians to boggle at fuch a Cafe
as this, and to debate thus long upon
a matter of fo eafie folution^ for
Right or Wrong the Puhlick Safety
muftbe provided for^ and it is a
great Folly and want of Forefight to
preferre one man's life, how Innocent
foever, before a Nations Welfare.
In which wicked fpeech, though Ca*
B 3 iphts

6 SatntfJrif no ground

iphas did by God's appointment
Prophetically foretell that great good
which would redound to the World by

v* *z- our Saviour* $ Death, yet as to his
own Intention, he meant no more
then a Juftifying of that Accuried>

Rom. 3. s. and, in the Apoftie Paul's fenfe, ac-
counted Damnable Maxime, viz.
That we ma) do Evilly that Good may
come thereof, which Tenet, where-
cver it is aflented to, will be the Mo-
ther of thofe Miichiefs which men
have either Felt or Feared: Iamfure
it fo far prevailed with that Jun£to
of Senators , that the Text faith
From that Time they took Cotmfell,
v* Bj how to put him^ i. e. our Saviour, to
Death.

Our Saviour's Death being thus
agreed on by the Pharifees, and in
their deep Policy refolved to be Ne-
ceffaiy in refpeft of the Romanes, and
very Advantageous too in reference
to the $ewe:\ the Contrivers make
no long Delay, but what they had
before fo unjuftly concluded on? we

find

r Of Soveraigntv $

find them prefetuly after as cruelly
execute. For having by their own
Authority apprehended our Saviour,
and being it feemes debarred to judg
of Capitall Caufes within them-
f elves, (it is not) fay they to Pit at e^ v* 3Z«
lawfull for us to put any CMan to
Deaths they hale him before Pilate
the Romane Praefafi, and there with
Loud Clamorous Outcries demand
Juftice againft him. But left their
Noife ihould not prevaile with a
Romane, and therein, fo far as rela-
ted to the fewifh Affaires, an Uncon-
cerned and DifpafTionate Judge ,
with a Formall ftory in theirMouths,
difguifing the Malice of their Hearts,
they Article againft him as a Male fa-
clour, le. according to the Impor- **moiq<.
tanceofthe Greek word, a [editions
Per [on , a Diftnrber of the State, a
Subverter of Government, an Enemy
cfCefar9 an Ambitious jffecJer to be
in Faff) as well as in Title, King of
the Jems*, which Falfe and fcandalous
Charge we have infinuated by fob*,

but

$ Saint/hip no ground

ch«i; .a. but is at large exprefled by Luke,
we founds fay they, this fellow perver-
ting the Nation , and forbidding to
give Tribute unto Cefar, faying, that
he him[lfe is chri(l a King.

Pilate hearing this Accufation,
which, if True, ftrook fo immediate-
ly at Cf/i/j power-, and theGravity
and feeming San&ity ofour Saviours
Accufers, would not let him fufped
it to beFalfe, he therefore, waving
all other fuggeftions, haftily askes
our Saviour, whether he was King
v* 33- or not, Art thou-, fayes he, the King
of the $erves? To which Queftion
our Saviour returnes an Anfwer in
the words I have already alleaged,
wherein he intimates that he was in-
deed a King) and that he had a King-
dome-, but that his Kingdome was of
fuch a Nature, as Pilate need not be
Jealous of, nor apprehend any dan-
ger from it-, as if it were intended to
enterfere or Juftle with Cefar's So-
veraignty-, for, faith he^my Kingdome
is not of this Word. As if he had faid,

I

of Sovereignty $

I aoi indeed a King , and I have a
Kingdome^ but you need not fear any
Difturbance to your Secular Inte-
refts, by fetting up of my Kingdome
amongftyou, for though it be in the
Worlds it is not of the worlds nor hath
any Commerce or Society, either
with the Power or Policy thereof.

This being the Plaine and Direft
meaning of our Saviour's words, I
(hall briefly explaine what Kingdome
it is that our Saviour meanes, when
he faies, mj Kingdome^ &c.

[ find in Scripture that our Savi-
our is called a King, upon a four- fold
account,

i. By Power. Thus he is King
ofthe World, and hath a foveraign-
ty Paramount, being one God with ,Iy2"*
the Father, and the fame Power,
by which he made the World,he daily
exerts for the continuing and prefer-
ving of it.

2. By Birth: thus he was King
of the jewes, being Heire apparent
to the Crown 7 and lineally defen-
ded

JO Saintjhip no ground

ded from DW in whom the Kin-

dom was verted withapromifeof its
ffW H. A« '«*, according t0

Zit:f'\Uviourca™' ^there-
fore had a Star to adorn and declare

his Natmty, God herein feem!,' to

compIyvvththeOpinionsoithofe
who think the Heavens are „££
then ordinarily concerned in the Af-
fairs of Princes, and therefore ftrange
Appearances , and unufual Comets
do attend both their birth and death
Fornotn,ngelfe3foroughtweknovv'
buttheProdigyofthatBiazingsS

Z\7\?y mo[e fmmedia?e ¥\

«invt; did excite the cnriofiry. of the
taftern uuqi, to go and fee that
Perfonwhofe Nativity was info
wonderful a manner celebrated:
*hm * fay they,^ that is born Km,
'fthefervs? for rve h*ve feen bl
Star in the Eaft:i. We have defcryed
a Star of an unufual Afped, but yet
fuchan one, as according to therules
or our Art, difcovers that a Prince is
born in fudea and we ^

ytQaMyWl

ofSovtrM%nl** it

WTwvmt fltV rJ, i. e. To km to him, and ^' Qr%

t . / contr Ccl l

pay him homage. a tb. i. p.

4<. Attrir
buteg their coining to a refponfe of the Devils, upon their do-
me their Kites of Conju ation : but I conceive the opinion, I
inenLon, is more p-ohable.

3. Bydc/ignattonand appointment
of his Father : Thus oar Saviour
Chvift is King of all the Heathen, ac
cording to that Prophefie of $acob9
When Shtloh comes , unto him (hall
nn?T the obedience or gathering of the
Gent'u >h.\ And many Predictions
there are of ;he fame importance,
which if they are to oe meant of eve-
ry Individual Heathen (and not rather
fignlfie that the Heathen (hall not be
excluded from being reckoned a-
mongft our Saviours fubjt&s, now in
times of Chriftiantty) we have no
ground from Scripture to expe<5t thac
they fliail be a<flually accomplished
until our Saviours fecond coming, at
which time the Saints fhall reign with
him : Which is the meaning of that
promife of our Saviours, He that 0-
vcr comes, i. all difficulties, *nd keeps

my

1 i Safatjhip no ground

my words unto the end, i, perfeveres in
theChriftian Faith, / mil give him
power over the Heathen, &c. even as I
have received of my Father, i. Here-
after, he ihall reign with me, not in
this life, but when he hath exchanged
this for a better.

Laftly, By Pact or Covenant : thus
our S aviour is King of Believer s one-
ly5 as a Prince he gives us Laws, in-
vites us with Rewards, deters us by
Puniiliments, and huh left nothing
unaiTayed, which may either perfwade
or enforce obedience; governing of
his People by his Word and Spirit,
unto a comply ance with his com-
mands • and this Dominion he will
always exercifeto the Worlds end.
Of which inward, invifible Kingdom
it is, that our Saviour is to be under-
ftood, when he faith, CM y kingdom is
vet of this world, I not a Political, vi-
fib!e, and earthly one.

From all that hath been faid, I infer
this Conclufion, Thatifchri/ls king-
dom be not of this world, there is none

can,

Of Sever aignty. ij

can] tip on the account of their inter eft
in Chrtjl, plead any Right or Title unto rhc^'
earthly Soveraignty: or more briefly
thus, That inward Saint Jhif is not a,
ground of outward Empire.

This colle&ion which I make is
very eafie and natural, for if our Sa-
viour did difclairr| all earthly Juris-
diction in himfelf,ihen fure none can,
upon pretence of their inxereft in him,
put in their Plea for it * Jf our Savi-
our, as he lived an humble, felf-deny-
ing life, fo dyed in an utter abhor-
rence of temporal Soveraignty •, and
fpent thofe few laft words he vouch-
fafed to utter, in a dire<5l denyal of
worldly greatnefs : then certainly his
example weighs little with us, and his
lateft breath was fpent in vain, if we,
up#on a Chriftian account, ftill affe<ft
Empire, or make our Religion the
way to outward prefeiment.lt is our
Saviours own reafoning,and bottom-
ed uppn the inalterable nature of
things* that the fervant is not greater
then his mafier : If therefore our Ma -

fter

14 Sdtmjhrt nogvcund

for would not be called lord^ cer"*
tainly the fervams ought not to de-
fare it 5 if Chrift tefufed Empire,
With what face can Chnflians ambiti-
on it t or how can they call them-
\t\vn Saints, and yet leek to bead,
vanced m power above their Savi-
our ?

Now though the bare authority of
our Saviour toigfct alone ftrve to con-
vince cbo'ft that are Chnftinns in-
deed (for io far as they are fuch, they
are to be imitators of Chrift; yet be-
caufe the matter is of fo much weight,
and hath or late beeii too unhappily
difputed, I (hall therefore endeavour
more at large to demonftrate it, from
thefe two Heads of Arguments.

i. From the nature of Civil Go-
vernment in general.

2. From the nature of Chriftlan
Religion in particular.

Firft, That Saintfhip is not the
ground of Soveraignty, appears from
the nature of Civil Government in
general .• for this belongs to men,

not

Of Soveraignfjl iy

as they are Chi iftians, but as they
are men 5 and is a confequent, not of
out fpiritual ,' but of our naturall
Birth.

To clear up this, I fhall not unra-
vel the whole My ft ery of Policy, as
fome too unwarily.* (if not defign-
edly) do, who lay down fuch Princi-
ples of Politicks, as give juft occasi-
on to make their Religion fufpe&ed:
I fhall therefore mfift onely upon
thofe Grounds which the Scripture
affords, oneiy thofe being fufficient
to convince a gainfaying, or to fatif-
fie a fcrupling confcience. And to
begin with the firft Original of man,
we finde, when God made man, it is
faid, that in the Image of God created Geiu«i8,
he him -, and thereupon blefled him,
and gave him dominion over the Crea-
tures . Now there is a twofold Image
of God, Supernatural, and Natural :
Supernatural, I call thofe impreflions
of Sanftity and Holinefs, which are
now loft : Natural, is that refem-
blance which the foul of man hath to

the

1 6 Saintjhip no ground
the nature of God, as to its being and
operation : viz. As God is a Spirit
Immortal, Invifible, efrv fothe foul
of man is of a Spiritually Immor tall,
Invifible nature •, which image yet
remains entire in the worft of men :
Of this Image it is that God fpeaks,
when he forbids Murther, who fo
Gen.9<<. Jheddethmans blood, faith he, by him
flail mans blood be Jhed, becaufe in the
image of Gad created he man-, i. e. he
put a Spirit of life and under (landing
into him, the confideration of which
invaluable Jewel within, ought to
make us prefer ve the Casket without,
i. e. the Body, facred and inviola-
ble/

Which of thefe two images it is
that external Dominion over the
Creature belongs to, is clear out of
the fame Chapter,where God renews
his grant to all the Sons of Noah:
v. ■: The fear of you, faith he, and the dread
of you , fall upon every beafl of the
earth, &c. into your hand, i. e. power
to difpofe of as youpleafe, are. they

Of Sovereignty. 17

delivered: In which general grant,
there are none of the ions of men ex-
cluded, becaufe it is a Birth-frtvt-
ledge • and profane Cham had upon
that fcore as large a fhare in, and as
true a title to the free ufe of all out-
ward things, as any of his more Re-
ligious Brethren.

"This is that Civil Right which A*
braham acknowledged in the King of
Sodom 7 (and what kmde of abomin-
able finnevs the Sodomites were,I need
not mention) when hereiufed to be
enriched by him ♦, I will not, faith he, Gen.14.13
take any thing of thine y by which
word 7 hive, he owns that the King of
.sWojw had a True, Legal Propriety,
even in thofe goods, which Abraham
might have challenged as the Fruits
of his Victory : This Right after-
wards Abraham confeffed to be i^Getvif&j
Abimelech^ when he made a League
with him not to hurt or injure him, u
not to deprive him of any thing which
was his. But mofl of all this appears
in the bargain and fale which Abra«G™*h
C ham

1 8 Srintfhif no ground

ham made with the Sons of Heth ;
when Abraham, though by Gods ab-
folute grant, the undoubted heir of
all the Land of Canaan^ yet the time
for theaccomplifhment of thatpro-
mife not being yet come, he refufed
to receive the Cave of CMacpelah, to
make ufe of it for a burying pbce3un-
til he had paid a valuable confideiati-
on in money for it.

Obj. if any jhall here object that
Abraham at that time wanted power to
make %ood his claim , and therefore was
content to buy, what otherwife he might
have forced.

Anf. The vanity and fahhood (I
will adde too, the impiety) of this
Plea appeals from hence, in that we
End? David afterwards ufing the ve-
ry fame terms of obfervance and re-
fptft unto Araunah a tfebufite, one
neither of the dune Nation nor Reli-
gion with himfelf .• Which inftance
ierves very much to clear the queftion
in hand, for David was not onely a
Saint by priviledge (if that fignified

any

of Soveralgnty. tp

any thing co give a right) but a King
by power, and might have forced it :
nay 5 he was commanded by God, to
make ufe of that very place to facri-
fice in, and therefore might have pre-
tended an infpiratlon to juftifie his vi-
olent I'eizure •, and befides, to make
the matter a little more fair and plau-
fible, he, whom David dealt with,
was an Heathen, and for ought we
know, an Idolater : Yet all thefe ad-
vantages did not make David fwerve
from the Rules of common Juftice,
but up he went with all his Retinue to
Araunah^ inaiuppliant pofture, that
he might buy bis tbrejhing floor : And
when Araunah frankly offered to give
it him, the Spirit of God hath recor-
ded it, not as an a<3 of Juftice in htm,
but of Royal Bounty : Araunah, as v2r ^
a king, gave unto the King.

Obj. It ufeth to be urged again fi
this^ that the Ifraelites , which were
Gods People, did deftroy /^Canaanites,
and inherit their land,

Jnfn\ But the Anfwcr is eafie,
C 2 That

yp Sahtfhif no ground

That as God did not choofe theiir to
be his people,becaufethey were more
holy then otheis, but meerly becaufe
hehadfet his heart upon them. So
neither did he give them the Land of
Canaan, upon the account of their
Saintflnp, but oneSy to make good
his promife unto Abraham, and by
their hands to avenge himfelf of the
Canaanites, who fe iniquitys were then
full and ripe for veng-eance.

This reafon isexprtfly given by
Deut. 9.5 Mojes himfelf, Not for thy righteouf-
nef, faith he, cr for ihcuprightnefs cf
thy heart, doifi thou go to fefjefs their
Land-, but for the wickedness of thefe
nations, the Lord thy God doth drive
them cut from before thee, and that he
may perform the word which the Lord
{ware unto thy Fathers. God indeed is
the grea Proprietor of ail things, but
yet he hath given the Earth, Without
^iftindion, co all the Sons of Men;
onely refeiving tohimfell this Right,
That when they do ingratetull y abufe
his gift, he doth always difcofikile

them,

of Sever atgnty 2 1

them, and give their inheritance unto
othersrbut though this be the method
of Gods Judgements 3 yet it doth
not excufe any people from 2 tran-
scendent Crime, who take upon them
to be the executor?, of Gods Decrees
againft the wicked, fojlmah therefore,
whiltfthewas in the hotteft purfuic
of that promifed Pofleflion , never
pleaded any thing to juftifiehis ag-
ings, but the particular command of
God,who bad him go and defiroy thofe
Nation: : this alone [made it a pious
War, which otherwife would have
been nothing elfe but a publick Rob-
bery : We finde alfo?that when God,
as the fupream Difpofer, gave to the
Israelites the Land of Canaan, he, at
the fame time, exprefly forbids them
to meddle with the Land of the chil-
dren of K^immon^ but had relation
to God given them any right, that
Land would have equally belonged
to them with the other: when thou t>eutt n,
comefi^ faith he, nigh unto the cbil~M>
dren of Ammon , diftrefs them not^
C 3 nor

2 2 Saint flrif no ground

nor meddle with them •,' for I rviH not
give thee of the Land of the children
of Ammon any pofjefsion, hecaufe I
have given it unto the children of Lot
for a pofjefiion. Where we fee the chil-
dren of" Lot> though Idolatrous, yet
were not to be difturbed in their pof-
feflion, becaufe the dune God who
laid to the children of Jfrael^ Goe,Pof-
fefje Canaan, faid to the Children of
Lot^ Goe, Poffefs the Land of Ammon*
Whereby* as to their civil Claims,
and temporal Rights, God makes no
diftin&ion betwixt the one, though
his own peculiar, and the other,
though a profane and Idolatrous
people.

But if Heathen unregenerate men
have, upon the account of their be-
ing men, a Title to other things, then
certainly to Dominion much more 5
which ferves onely to fecure our o-
ther Pnviledges, and is, if rightly
ftated, nothing elfe but a confequent
of Propriety.

I fliall therefore conclude this firft

Avgu-

of Soveraigntj 23

Argument,which I think abundantly
convincing, with that remarkable
Controverfie between God and the
Jews, concerning their obedience to
Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews, though
undoubted pofTefTors of Canaan, yet
after they were by Nebuchadnezzar
conquered , and, to preferve fome
little remains of Liberty and Lively -
hood, had taken an Oath of Fealty
and Allegiance to him •, we finde, up-
on fome reafon of State, they were
prefently induced to break it, and
God as fpeedily threatens to avenge
it feverely upon them. The fad con- Ezek. 17,
dition of that Oath, how it was a
Covenant only to enflave themfelves
and their Pofterity for ever , God
himfelf doth declare, thereby to pre-
vent their Obje&ion.* The King ofvi$.%4.
Babylon, faith he, hath taken of the
Kings feed, i. Zedekiah, and made a
Covenant with him, and taken an oath
of him^ that the Kingdom might be
bafey that it might not lift it felf up9
i. e. that it might for ever quit the

C 4 Pre:

24 * Saint jhip no ground

pretence of being a Free People^'znd
truckle under the Dominion of the
Chaldeans : This Yoke, then which
nothing can be more infupporcable,
and to which the Jews had been fo
long unaccuftomed, they prefently
(hook off-, for it follows in the next
Verfe, But he, i. Zedekiah, rebelled^
with what fuccefs, we have too much
reafon in this Nation to read and
00 v. Ar- tremble a •• Seeing he defpijed the oath^
lrues Plea, ^ breaking the Covenant, when loe^
v. 1*5,19. he had given his hand (i. with hands
lifted up, had folemnly ratified it) he
full not efcape : Therefore, as I live,
faith the Lord^ my Covenant which he
hath broken , and my Oath which he
hath dsfftftd) will I recompenfe upon
his own head: From which fad place,
others perhaps will draw other infe-
rences, but I Avail colled onely thefe
three things.

1. That in every Oath God is a
Party, andwillbefure to puniih the
vibhter of it ^ though men may break
their Oathes, with as much eafe as

Samfon

Of Sever aignlf. 2$

Samfon did his With 5 , yet God will
be fure ro keep his,and he hath fworn
toPunifli.

2. When once a man hath fworne,
he cannot refume againe that naturaiP
Liberty , which he was before poflef-
fed of/oecaufe by his owne voluntary
Ad he hath dtveftedhimfelfeofit,
and thereby bound himfelfe over to
Divine vengeance , if he do not per-
forate the Condition of his Cove-
nant .

Laftly, if the Jewes , who had fo
much to plead for themfelves, both
upon a Civil and Religious Account,
as being not onely a Free, but like-
wife a Godly People,might yet paffe
away their whole Liberty unto an
Heathen Prince , and by vertue of
their Oath be debarred for ever from
forceable feeking a Re-enveftiture 3
but were obliged, not onely to fub-
mit unto him as their Conquerour,
but after Faith given , to obey him
as their Soveraigne 5 if I (ay,the Cafe
flood thus with chem , then certainly

no

2 6 Saint Jin f no ground

no Pretence of San&itiecanabfolve
us now from luch Ties of Obedience,
in the Times of the Gofpeil -, which
doth as farre tranfcen J the Jewilh
Politie in Pea ceabl entile of Difpofi-
tion3 as in Purity ot Dodtrine, theie-
fore,
At.:2m Secondly, that Saintfhipisnot the
ground of Sovereignty will yet far-
ther appeare from the Nature of
Chriftian Religion in particular ^whe-
ther we refpe<ft3 i. Its Precepts*
2. Its Promifes. 3. The manner of
propagating it. 4. The Pra&ife
of theApoftles,and other ProfelTours
in the pureft and moft Primitive
Times.

Firft, This appeares from Gof-
peil Precepts : for there is nothing
more frequently or vehemently in-
joyned by our Saviour, then [elf 'e de-
ny ail. The command doth not run,
Mar.i£.i4 Take a Kingdome , but, Take up jour
Crofie and follow me. Learne of mey
faith our Saviour 5 he doth not adde,
For this is the way to Honour , for I

atk

of Sever aignip 2j

can point you out a Path to Prefer-
ment, but Learn of me, for I <w»Mat;II M
meeke and Lowly. \. I have equalled^
my felfeto the meaneft of the fons of
men,. I have not where to lay my
head, and am fo little defirous of
worldly Greatnefs, that I have vo-
luntarily devefted my felfeofa great-
er Royalty, then the world can
comprehend-, and all this I have done,
to fhow you a Patterne of Humility.
Therefore when the Difciple, ( who
before our Saviours Refurre&ion,
did as much miftake the meaning of
his Kingdome, as fome amongft us
now do J did contend amongft them-
felves who fhould be greateft , how
fharply doth our Saviour reprehend
this Ambitious ftrife ? *& $ sfyw$?f Mar.18.3.
if you be not turned) i. quite chang-
ed, as it were, .to another Nature,
and become as little Children^ as care-
lefs and fecure of greatnefs, as little
f welled and leavened with Ambition,
youfhallin no wife enter into the King-
dome of Heaven : whereby the King-
dome

2 8 Saint flip no ground

dome of Heaven : whether we under-
ftand Grace or Glory , whether it
meanes Initiallor Compleat Happi-
neile , it \h all one to the Queftion in
hand 5 for it clearly proves 5 that to
affe<5t Temporall Greatneffe and Pro-
motion, is utterly inconfiftent either
withholinefle here,or with our hopes
hereafter. 1 need not multiply more
Texts , for the whole defigne of the
Gofpell is aimed at nothing elfe, but
tolevill, and lower our Thoughts
unto the fize of our Saviours meek-
neffe, to beat down the tumour and
(welling , and agitation of our Spirits
in reference to worldly things,to em-
pty and deveft ourfoules of all that
wind of Ambition, wherewith poore
miferable men, who have no better
Hopes, are constantly toiled and per-
plexed. And the r Juan for this is
unanfwerable,for,if, as cur Saviour
hath ftaced it, None can ferve God and
Mammon,theti none can ierve God &
Honour , we cannot ferve God , and
game « Kingdom^ much teffe are we

to

of Sever aignty* 29

to make one, prepare the way for the
other : for this would be to invert the
Intent of the Gofpell y and make it a
fetter up or what it was principally
difcovered to beat dowries whereby it
would become nothing elfe, but a
Ladder for Ambition to climbe by.

Secondly , This appeares likewife
from GofpellPromifes ; forthefeas
they are conftantly annexed to the
Poore, the Humble, the Mortified,
thefelfe denying Chriftian , fo they
are alwayes about fuch things i as ate
moil remote and diftant from Tern*
porall Enjoyments Blefied, faith our
Saviour, are the poore wfpirit>h?
doth not adde, for theirs ihall fegMatth^-
the KingdonieofEarth^bur, Xktiiti
u the Kingdom? of Heaven* Accor-
ding to the Analogic of which Pro-
miles, muft that Tex t be underftood,
which while they fixe onely upon
the Liteiall meaning hath deluded
fo many, Bit {fed are the Uiteek^ for
they fbali Inherit the Earth. i.r>>r,
Mam Terram^ Thai Earth, which was

pro mi fed

3 6 Saint flip no ground

promifed in a Type, and is Figiira*
lively Heaven, as the Author to the
Hebrewes hath elegantly proved.

Heb.n.13 por that neither that place, nor any
other in the N. T. can beunderftood
abfclutely of any outward and Earth-
ly Happineffe, is cleare, becaufe all
that weChnftians can certainly ex-
ped: in this world, by virtue of a

Juh:i6.3$ Promife, isonely Afflictions. In the
VVorld, faith our Saviour to his Di-
fciples, and therein to all who will
be like them, jw« /7m// ha ve Tribulati-
on: this was the laft Legacy he left

aTim.-3.12 them, and therefore, faith he, yejhall
have it} reft ye as certaine of it,
as of your Inheritance or Patrimony.
And the Apoftle, who very well un-
derftood our Saviour's meaning, laies
it down as a Fundamental! in Religi-
on, All that will live Godly in Chrift,
rnufl fuffer Perfection; they muft
fuflfer, there is no avoiding it- For
this Fatall attendance of Perfecution
upon Piety it is, that our Saviour
hath provided us fo many Cordialls

and

Of Sever aigntyr 31

and Comfortable Receipts in Scri-
pture, as when he bids us to rejoice, M .
and be exceeding gladt nay^w»s f*Heblia. '
skip and dance for tfoy> when fuch
Afflictions do moil beret us-, for they
are evidences of our Sonfhip, andaf-
fured fignes that God hath a Care of
us: all which Expreflions would
have been very vaine and uielefTe, if
ever Religion fliould be abufed to
thofe Ends , that the fuffering
might become the Afflicting P&rtyjjj
itaChriftian could not only exempt
ynimfelte from Injuries, but returns
^them upon others, and challenge Au-
thority here, as a Reward of his Pie-
ty. For this would not only deprive
us of the Priviledge (fo the Apoftles
counted it ) ot Martyrdome , but
would have none fit to be Perfecuted,
but onely the Wicked-, and this is
an Honour , which I hope no true
Chriftian but envies them. er^ \^i
tlrrs, To you, faith the Apoft!e,*> is gi-
ven of grace, not only to believe on^il,t1
Chrift, but liken; fe to fnffer for his

Name*

i Vet, ii

3 1 Saintjhip no ground

Name. We are miftaken, whilfl: we
io much dread Atfli&ion: for it is not
a Judgment, no nor an Evill neither
to fuffer, but ^W, a Gift, a peculi-
ar Boone,a choice Indulgence of God
unto his Favourites. So the Apo-
ftle Peter bids thofe he writes to not
be difcouraged, or count it grange,
if the Fiery Try all had its effect upon

f**£WCi- tnt'mi as we^ as upon others-, fory
St. faith he, unto this were ye called: as if

he had laid, be lure you look, my
long for it-, for if you miiTe of this,
you have fome reafon to doubt the
Truth of your Calling. All which
places, with many more to the fame
purpofe, how any can reconcile to an
Afttcfting of Temporall Greatneffe,
let them refolve who love a Secure,
an Eafie, a Specious, a Profperous
Religion, fuch an one as Chnft
never came to teach, nor any of
his Followers died to eftablifli.

ob). It is very true, what fome,
with a little too much guftand relifli
of worldly- mindedneifs,ailedge3 Th3ti

tvery

of Soveratgniy. 3 3

every true Chriftianis heir of a King-
dom, and ought to live in expectation
of fuch Glory and Greatnefs,as what-
ever the world hath, can but imper-
fectly fhadow out ; With this pur
Saviour doth buoy up, and revive the
finking fpirits of his Difciples : £<? of .
good comfort, faith he, for it is your
Fathers good pleafure to give you a
Kingdom : It is this we pray for, this
we are to be in a readinefs for daily.

An[w. But yet it is as true too,
that, fo long as we live here, this is
a Kingdom in expectation onely^
Flefhnor Blood, neither fhall nor can
inherit it. As we rauft firft put off
Mortality, before we can put on In-
ternal Life 3 fo we muft put off earth
and earthly -mindednefs,before we can
expeCt any (hare in that blefled Inhe-
ritance-
There are, amongft many other,
two very remarkable places to clear
this : The one is our Saviours anfwer
to Peter, upon his Difcourfe with the
young man : For our Saviour having
D pro-

34 Saint fit p no ground

pronounced fo fevere, and yet fo per-
emptory a doom againft rich men, as
Jtoxikw. that a rich man could [carcelj be faved;
he repeats it again, and makes it to be
altogether as great a Moral Impoffi-
bility, for a man that is clogged with
Wealth, and loaded with worldly
Cares, to enter into the Kingdom of
Heaven, (that rebhtufiiwr oJ\h', the nar-
rowed, fretted, and flreightned way)
as it would be a natural impoflibility
for a Camel to go through the eye of a
needle. Upon this we finde the Di-
fciples were exceedingly amazed, not
onely as miffing of their hopes, but
likewife as being confcious to them-
felves, that though they were not ,
yet they did all defire to be rich ,
whereupon Peter „ in the name of the
reft, replies, Behold, we have left all
and followed thee, what ft all we have
therefore f As if he had faid, Shall
we venture to loofe all, and yet be
fo great lofers by the bargain, as to be
altogether unprovided of a recom-
pence ? our Saviour therefore to quit

them,

Of Soveraignty. 35

them, and to take them off from fuch
fenfual deiires, which hefaw poflef-
fed them: Ferily 3{Yithhc,ye that have
followed me, in the regeneration* when
the Son of man fits upon his Throne of
Glory , fhall fit upon twelve Thrones,
judging the twelve Tribes of Israel :
In which words our Saviour* doth
promife them a great and a glorious
reward, viz. to be Kings and Judges
•with himfelf, but yet defers the frui-
tion of it, until the n*hiyfata*9 i. The
rejlauration of all things , when nei-
ther Mortality nor Mifery fliall be any
more, but every thing lliall be refto-
red unto that Primitive Integrity and
Luftre, wherein they were at firft cre-
ated.

The other place which manifefts
the nature of Chrifts Kingdom, &-M«fc*oj
that Anfwer which our Saviour re- 2°^
turned to the Mother of Zebedees
Children, who, it feems, miftaking
the true notion of it, and fixing her
thoughts upon an earthly Empire,pe-
titioned our Saviour for her two fons,
D 2 That

3 6 Saintfhip no ground

That the one might fit at his right
handy and the other at his left^ when he
came into his Kingdom^ i. when he had
taken pofleflion of the Throne, and
was invefted with the Realm of fa-
dea , (he humbly begged, that then
he would be pleafed to look favor-
ably-upon her two fens, to make
them the Grandees and Minions of his
Court 5 that they, under him, might
enjoy the greateft Power and Privi-
leges: But our Saviour , to take
them off from fuch haughty Aims,
prefently puts them in minde ofSuf.
».*j. fering, as a thing much more fuited
to a Chriftians complexion 5 and left
the other Difciples fhould be infefted
with the fame defires, he doth for e-
verftrive to fupprefs them, as pacti-
ons much more fit for Heathen,
then Chriftian tempers .• Te know,
faith he, that the Princes of the Gen-
tiles do exercife dominion over them,
andthofe that are great, do exercife au-
thority upon them : But it fhall not he
fo amongjl you ; As if he had faid,

The

Of Soveraigntyl 37

The Heathen indeed, who have no o-
ther hope, do place ail their Heaven
upon Earth 5 they make Fame their
Immortality, and Power their Para-
dife -j and therefore never reft fatif •
fied, until thev can exercife an abfo-
lute and an Arbitrary Dominion o-
ver their enflaved Subje&s. But you,
who are my Difciples, and called by
my Name, who have a certainty of fu-
ture Enjoyments,unto whom a King-
dom of a clean different nature is re-
ferved $ you ought not to be like
them, but rather ftri ve in humility to
excel! each other : Wherein our Savi-
our clearly intimates, that it doth fo
little become a Saint to rule, that he
is certainly not a Saint who doth am-
bition it : For how can he rationally
expe<ft a Kingdom hereafter , who
hath outed himfelf of his Plea, by
putting in for a Kingdom here? which
is nothing elfe, but to antedate the
cffeft of Gods promife-, or rather
with Dives >to receive our good things
in this life, and to take up with Tern-
D 3 poral

3 S 5 Saint fin p no ground

poral Joys, when we fliould patient J
ly have waited for Eternal.

Thirdly , This appears farther,from
the manner how Chriftian Religion
was propagated in the World* which,
as it is a Religion that doth moft pre-
cifely forbid compulfion and vio-
lence , fo it was not planted by it.
Our Saviour himfelf that taught it,
was as a Lamb that opened not his
mouth, hut turned his cheek to the [mi-
ter^ and his back to the rod of the wic-
ked: The Apoftles, his followers,
were accounted the leum and off-
fcouring of the world, i. the vileft of
men, and thereupon were difgraced,
perfecuted, tormented: And all this
they fuffered without the return, fo
much as of contumelious Language $
how much lefs do we finde them tel-
ling the world, that they ought to
bear Dominion over them : Yet by
thefe Arts alone, they did at firft
Preach, ;and afterwards promote the
Gofpel to the converfion of thou-
fands. And this, by the way, with-
out

Of Sovereignty 39

out any further Argument, will ferve
to evidence the Divine Original of
Chriflianity, in that notwithstanding
all thefe difadvantages, the leaft of
which, in all humane probality, was
enough to have ftifled and fuppreffed
it in tht Womb $ yet, in fpite of all,
it took root and profpered-, which
could not poffibly have come to pafs,
without the conduft and afliitanceof
an Almighty Power.

But had our Saviour fent a Religi-
on into the World3which would have
excited mens ambition, and fired our
Zeal to the ruins and extirpation of
it's Oppofers : Quid hoc cximum t
What excellence fhould there have
been in Chriftian Religion,more then
in other Religions > for do not even
the Publicans the fame? Is not this
the common method of all Political
Combinations , rather then Religi-
ons in the World, to rife bvthe ru-
ine of fuch asoppofethem ? But our
Saviour took not this courfe : ^,faith Iohn l8
he, my kingdom were of this world^ i7.
D 4 then

40 Saintjhip no ground

then would myfervants fight ? intima-
ting, that, to make way for Religion
by force, to lay down a Principle,
which muft needs imbroil the World
in Blood and Confufion, is not Reli-
gion, but Rapine \ a Sacrilegious de-
iign3tomakeChriftianity,& the ftricfc
ProfefTbrs of it, odious : For who
will not fufpe<ft the truth of that Re-
ligion, which defpairing of its own
Excellence, and hopeleis of a better
reward, eggs on its followers to take
up with Worldly Honor ? and under
the notion of Sanfttty, leaves the
Throne expofed to the Invafion of
every Hypocritical Pretender : \^4t
in initio non fait (ic I Our Saviour
taught usnoiuch Do&rine, nor did
his Apoftles leave us fuch a pattern.
Therefore,

Laftly, That Saintfhip gives no
right to Civil Empires appears from
the praftice of the Apoftles,and other
Profeflbrsof Chriftianity in the Pu^
reft and mod Primitive Times. Pre-
fently after our Saviours Afcenfion,

when

ofSoveraignlf. 41

when by Peters Miniftry fo many
thoufands were converted 5 we doe
noc finde him Preaching them into
a Tumult, or railing a Party a-
mong the People, upon the fcore of
our Saviours being a Temporall
Prince, to whom all men were to
pay their Civill Allegeance, but he
onely bids them, Repent and be con- Aa.llu
verted) that their fins might be blot- z9.
ted out: And fuch Do&rine as this
might be Preached, without any im-
peachment to Cdfars Power.

Again, when the chief Priefls and
Rulers did forbid the Apoftles to
Preach in the Name of Chrift 5 as
being madded with envy, that one
whom they had lately fo ignomini-
oufly Crucified , fhould yet finde fo
much reputation among his Follow-
ers.* The Apoftles, upon this, doe
not combine to ftrengthen them-
felves, and, under pretence of fet-
ting up Chrifts Kingdom , make a
commotion in the State, but they

pre-

4 * S dint flip no ground

Aa<II 2P prcfently fell to their Prayers, Now
yt Lord) fay they, behold their threat-
nings^ and grant unto thy fervants^
that with all boldnefi they may [peak
thy Word, They onely beg cou-
rage to fpeak, and patience to fuffer,
and as for promoting Chrifts Throne
in any other fenfe, they feem altoge-
ther fecure andcarelefs.

AstheApoftles, fo did their Pro -
felytes behave themfelves, fo farre
■ from aiming at greatntife, or from
feeking to improve their Conver-
sion to the oppreflion of others-,
fo farre from depriving others of
their Poilellions^ becaufe they were
ungodly, that they fold their own,
and therein literally fulfilled that
command of our Saviour , of Sell
all and fsllow me •, which the Pro-
ftflbrs of cur Times , are fo farre
from pracfllfing, that they are rather
apt to do the clean contrary.

We reade indeed, that when the
Christians increafed, there was an

Accu-

of Sever aignly] 45

Accufation forged againft them, as
if they were Men > who turned the^ l7%6*
World up fide down, who del ed con-
trary to. the Decrees of Ctffar, fay*
ing, There is another King, one ^pe-
[us. And Paul is by Tcrtullus ex-
prefly called ao/^9-, a very Pe(l, i. Aa.24.
a Turbulent, Unquiet Spirited man,
and a Raifer of Sedition $ which Ca-
lumny, howfalfe and ungrounded it
was , Paul ihews at large in his A-
pology, by averring to their faces,
that they could not prove the thing* verii*,
which they had alleaged againjl him.
And afterwards, he is fully acquit-
ted by Fcfttts the Roman Deputy :
They, fayes he to Agrippa, brought
again (I him no Accufation of fuch ^&> a&8.
things as I fuppofed, i. of Treafon,
of Sedition or Rebellion, of Preach-
ing Difobedience, or non-payment
of Tribute to O far • for fuch crimes
as thefe, were properly under the
Governors Cognizance * and none
of thefe, it feems , were fo much

as

44 Saintjhip no ground
as imputed unto Paul: whereas had
he fo Preached up Chrift, as to af-
firm that Jems was not onely a King,
but that whoever did not fubmit to
him , ought immediately to be
put out ot Office-, whereby there
would never be fuch a Crime as
Treafon, if Religion were once
made the pretence to juftifie it . Had
this, I fay, been Paul's Docftrine, I
fuppofe Je(ius neither would, nor
durft have been fo favorable in his
Cenfure.

And to put the matter out of
queftion on that Apoftles part,
though none was more zealous then
he, for the advancing of Chrifte
Kingdom in the right fenfe-, yet
none was more ftri<5i and fevere in
the enjoyning of Obedience unto all
Powers over us, of what Religion
foever-, unleffe we think men can
be worfe then Nero and Caligula
were, who Raigned about his time.
And the Apoftle gives a reafonfor

Of Soveraigntyi 4.5

it, which will hold true in all Ages,
hiz» becaufe. Authority is from God. Rom,I3
Power , by what Arts foever it is
gained , and by what perfons foe-
ver it is exercifed , yet when it is
once acknowledged 2nd fworn too ,
itis to be looked upon by us, as no-
thing elfe but a Ray of Gods So.
veraignty, and therefore to be ac-
counted Sacred. Nor can any pre-
tence of zeal, or mask of Religion,
juftifie Rebellion more now then
heretofore : but the more piety ap-
pears to difguife it, the more mon-
ftrous it is.* Since in effedtit onely
fets up Chrift againft himfelf , and
makes his Kingdom what he would
not have it to be, akingdomeof this
World.

The very fame command, and to
the fame purpofe is enforced by
Peter, That they might by their obe-
bedience and meek neffe, put to filence Ia/"
the ignorance of foolifh men, who
cenfured them as evil doers: The
Word in the Original is K*x»m*<> the

very

4# Saintfiip no ground

very fame which was charged upon
our Saviour, and it fignifies in the
Hellenifiical Phrafe , State- Incendi-
aries > Incompatible with Civill Go-
vernment^nd the like •> which would
have proved a very true and up-
right cenfure, in Cdk theChriftians
ot thofe Times, had fo owned Cbrijl
for thiir King^ as5 upon his account,
. to withdraw their obedience from
their Civil Soveraigns. The more
apt therefore profane men were to
mil- interpret the Kingdom of Chrift,
the more caret ull that Apoftle would
have ProfeiTors to be5not to give any
fuch occafion of offence.

Suitable to the Do&rine of thefe

two great Apoftles , was the pra-

dice of the Primitive Chriftians ,

down from our Saviours , till long

after C&nfiantines time, as I could

eafily prove out of the moft An-

(a) renal. cjent Records, abut that we live in

n5ffiS> an Ase, when fuch kinde of Learn-

triccif. ing is, by thofe who leaft under-

&*• ' ftand

of Sovereignty, 47

{land it, accounted little lefle then
madneiTe $ and that we may know
which way the World is going, Ig-
norance begins once more to be the
Mother of Devotion.

I Anil therefore draw to a clofe, for
fuch as Scripture will not iatisfie, V
do not intend to confute by humane
Testimony, which isnotonely falii-
ble, but for the mod part falfe : And
I wilh all that are at leafure to perufe
this fhort Treatife, would make this
ufeof it, as to look after the Spirit,
rather then the Splendor of Chrifti-
anity : For it is evident to all, that
know any thing of Church Story,
that fo much as our Pveligion hath got
in Pomp, it always loft in Purity.

Thcfe who are ftill doting upon
Chrifts temporal Reign, in which
they hope to have their (hare 3 me-
thinks the very ambition of fuch de-
fines, fhould convince them that they
are not Chriftian ; but if they are
fo far gone in their Error, as to think
nothing unlawful,ib they mrf in their

lenfe

4? Sawtfiip no ground

fenfe fet up Chrift^ I heartily wifh
them to confider, whileft they go a-
bout fuch enterprises, i . Whofe bu*
finefs they do not. 2. Whofe bufi-
nefs they doe.

1. Firft, Let them confider whofe
bufinefie they doe not 5 for, let them
pretend what they wil], they doe not
the bufineffe of C htift^ ftnce he Hath
abfolutely forbid it * and he will not
thank us for exalting his Honor the
wrong way : <$uis requifivit. bdc ?
was Gods expoftulauon with the
Jews, when they brought him Sacri-
fices, which he himfelf had comman-
ded, becaufe they offered them not in
a right manner. How much more
will our Saviour by thefe words, re-
prove all thofe, who for his fake, ven-
ture upon a&ions which he at his
death difclaimed? The queftion at the
laft day will not be, how many wic-
ked we have killed , but how many
we have converted? Not, how many
wre have deftroyed for their unbelief,
but how many we have turned from

it?

Satntjhip no ground 49

it: Wefliall not be asked, whstHo-
nors and Preferments we have got by
the Gofpel, but what we have left to
follow it : And don't let any think,as
feme argue, that God hath allowed a
difpenfation for thefe laft times $ for
times, and men, may alter,but the na-
ture of things can never alter: Since
the world is as int icing, and the Do-
ftrine of the Gofpel as fevere as felf-
denying5now as ever:fo that to recon-
cile thefe two together /viz. the pride
of Life, with the Purity of Faith, I
think no man can, I am fure no Chri-
ftian ought to doe.
Secondly, As they who are otherwife
minded,donot the bufinefs of Chrift,
folet themconfider whofe bufineffe
they do. To under ftand which, we
muft take notice there are in Scripture
recorded, two great Pretenders unto
temporal Soveraignty, Satan and An -
ttcbrift.

Firft, Satan: we flnde him dire&iy

claiming the glory of the world as his

own : Behold, faith he to our Saviour,

E Ml

50 Saint fh/p no ground

Luke 4.*. all this power will I give thee, and the
glory of them -if or that is delivered un-
to me, and to whomsoever I will, I give
it : Which confident fpeech of his,as
our Saviour doth not confute, fo, by
John 16 ca^^n§ him after ,t he God and Prince of
this world, he feems to own it for a
truth. And indeed, ifweconfiderthe
manner, how •, the Arts,by which the
Kingdoms of the world are got and
governed , we fliall not much doubt
ot Satans veracity : Since Fraud and
force, arethofetwo Pillars, upon wch
almoft all Empire is founded ; and the
great Maximein State Policy, is that
thing which God moft abhors, viz.
Hypocrifie and DiflimulationSo that
we need not much queftion5but as the
Jz:ii.t?. wifdom or policy^Cohktmk the power
of the world, is not onely earthly and
fetf[ual,b\ii likewife ^^cvi^r^joevil-
?fi\at\d fo much the more Deviliih,the
more Religion is preceded to procure
it 5 for Satan never more a&s his part,
then whe he becoms an angel of light*
Secondly , Another pretence to

worldly

of Soveraignty] y i

worldly power difcovered unto us in
Scripture, is Lsfntichrifl*, of whom
there are fo many Marks and Chara-
<5ters given us,that it is no hard matter
to know where his fpirit works: Of
him the Apoftle J>ohn fpeaks, when
having difcourfed, that whatever is in
the world, whether the luft of the flijh, 1 Jo!m
i.Pleafure-, or the lufi oftheeyesy i.Pro. 2,l6#
fit •, or the pride of life, i. Honors was
not of the Father^ but of the world s he
prefently tells them that Antichrift
was then beginning, intimating, that
when ever he came to appear more
manifestly, he would be very no-
torious and remarkable for the fetting
up thofe three, which aret as one calls
them,7fe worlds Trinity : And this he
would do, not in fo open and bare-
faced a manner as Satan before him,
but under the difguife and mask of Pi-
ety 5 for thus it is faid in the defcri-
ption of him, which all fides agree to
be meant of Antichrifl, that he hadKw.i$.r
horns like a Umbjbuthe [pake as a dra~
gonj.he pretended meekaefs,but pra-
E 2 (ftifed

52 Sahtfhip no ground

dtifed cruelty • as appears afterwards,
in that he is faid to force his Religion
upon others., and to make all men re-
vcr.1^17. ceive his mark, or quit their means of
living. And there are two Notes of
Anticbrifl, which will never fail, viz.
Pride inhimfelf, and Perfecution in
reference to others.
Another defcription we have of him,
in that ftile he afliimes to himfelf5i//£,
That he exalt eth bimfelf above all that
is called Gcd,or tvorJhippediThe mean-
ing is, that he challenges authority and
pre-eminence above all Kings and
Emperors : For Kings, in Scripture,
are called Gods-, and s*3*^(which we
render, that is wor [hipped) is that name
in Greek, which iignifies Majeflj in
Englifh,andis the title by which they
did exprefs the Grandeur of the Ro-
man Emperors, whom they called Au-
gu(li,md the Greeks -ziQ&soi. According
to this afpiring difpofition and nature
in him, fo hath he his name of Anti-
Chrift given him $ forA^x?*^" may
either be rendred to* pro?ox vice Chri-

Of Soveraignty. jj

fiiy that is, one who places himfelf in
Chrifts ftead, and behaves himfelf as
his Vicar and Deputy : Or elfe W may
fignifie contra chfiftum, one that op-
pofes and fees himfelf againft Chrift,
i. not againft his Perfon (for that he
would get nothing by) but agahift the
principal parts of Chrifts Do&rine
and Worfhip •, one that puts Chriftia-
nity upon a new bottom, that inverts
the defign of it, and makes it, inftead
of being ^(elf-denying^ the mo ft felf-
feeking Religion in the World.

How near this Dodrine of making
Chrifts Kingdom an Earthly Monar-
chy, comes to the nature of Anti-
Chrift -, nay,is indeed that very ladder
by which that man of fm either alrea-
dy hath, or hereafter will afcend the
Throne^is too apparent : For if Anti-
Chrift be come , ss who can now
doubt of it ? (fince the Apoftie Pad
tells us, that in the latter time he needs
mufi come •, and the Apoftle John in-
forms us, that the latter time began in
his age)thm we have no Character left
E 3 to

5 4 Sawtfhip no ground
to defcry him by, if this be not \t,viz>
his mixing the Chriftian with the fe-
cular Intereft i his mak;ng Piety a
Pandar to Policy-, his advancing
Chiift in (hew, that thereby indeed he
may advance himfelf^his centring god-
linefs and greatnefs in the fame Per-
fons», and ruling over the world as the
Deputy of Chrift : Which kindeof
Do&rine whoever attempts to vent,
let his zeal be never fo fierce, and his
pretences never fo pious, he doth no-
thing but prepare the way for Anti-
chrift, whofe coming will not be like
our Saviomsjoivlj and meek Jout with
pomp and triumph . He doth not le-
vel the ways 3n J fupprefs ambition,
but fwell it higher , until he finks
down Religion under the weight of
worldly Honor.
Before therefere I doe conclude this
Difcourfe, I Shall take leave,

i . To bewail many of my deluded
Brethren, who have a zeal, but fo lit-
tle,according to knowledge, that^ even
then when they moft fiercely oppofe

Anti-

of Soveraignty, 55

Antichrift $ they onely do his work •, and
while they proceed upon falfe Principles, juft
draw a Circle, in which, the more they hbor
to go from the point they fixed on at firft5the
nearer they draw unto it.

2. 1 rauft lament the great flupor and in-
fenfibility of the Preache< s of the Gofpel in
our days, who can be fo carelefs in times of fo
eminent danger: And though others may per-
haps plead fomething in their own excufe,yet
how can they anfwer it, who fcrupled at Ce-
remonies (which were declared,and every one
knows to be, in their own nature, indifferent)
and yet are filent under a Principle which will
certainly bring them back, in a far other man-
ner then they were at firft impofed ? flial thole
who were affrighted at thefhadow of a Lyon,
not tremble to hear him roaring ? what folly
is it to flee from the tail of the Dragon, and
yet not be afraid when we perceive his fting ?
Let us not be mifhken, it is not the garb or
drefs of Ceremonies, it is not this or that
form of Worfliip, which prefently makes it
Antichrifti3n,but it is the challenging a pow-
er to impofe them upon others. So that
without fixing the n-nmeof An?nhri[l upon

any

5 6 Of Soveraigntj \

any party of men, which makes the "Contra*
verfie conje&ural onely,and mofl commonly
uncharitable ? this I (ball be bold to affirm,
that to impofe by force any form of Wor-
Ihip, and thereby deny others that liberty of
choice, which,whilft we impofe,we affume to
our felves : To determine the indifferency of
things, and, in reference to Religious ends,to
make that necetfary, which by nature was made,and
God hath left free : And above all-* to make Chrift
a temporal prince, and under the notion of advan-
cmghifrbto exalt our felves,andLord it over others;
this is nothing elfe but the {pint ot Antichrift, fince
fuch Doctrine as this, is no way contained in our Sa
viours Gofpel.

1 {hall {peak out and end % I earneftly pray, that
that excellent Principle,! mean,Zi£mj ofconfcunce..
which firft led us out of Popery, doe not by our
too wanton abuie of it, lead us back again into it
This I am fure of, that for men firft to call them-
felves, The Godly, (a ftile which ?mh after all hi-
Revelations, did not fo boldly af fume) and then:Up
on that fcore, to make themfelves our Governors
is without aay ftreining the road thither •, for w
know who ic is, that by fuch Arts,hath got no fma:
Dominion in the world .-and where ever fuch Tenet
prevail, they are. onely fore-runners of Antichrifl
Temporal regin? and fo far as he can fupprefs it, '
Chriftianitiesruine.

F I N I Si

1